Won’t join Zila Parishad polls: Ershad

Terming the upcoming Zila Parishad polls ‘meaningless’, Jatiya Party chairman HM Ershad on Sunday said his party will not take part in it, reports news agency UNB.

“We won’t join the Zila Parishad election as it’s a meaningless one,” he told a programme at a convention centre in the city’s Gulshan area.

The party arranged the programme as ex- Bikalpa Dhara vice president M Shahidur Rahman joined it.

Ershad, also the prime minister’s special emissary, said his party’s main target is now to win the next general election. “We’re now thinking of the national election.”

He said his party has formed district unit committees to make the party ready for the 11th parliamentary polls.

BNP on Thursday also announced to boycott the elections.

Earlier in the day, Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad announced the schedule for the Zila Parishad polls setting 28 December as the voting date.

The Zila Parishad polls will be held in 61 districts across the country.

About the formation of the new Election Commission, Ershad said, “A pragmatic Election Commission should be constituted as per the rules on the basis of discussions with the parties now have representation in parliament.”

He said those party are now out of parliament have no right to engage in talks over the issue.